Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-03-05
TO BE SHOT AT NOON.
BY CAPTAIN w. r. GORDON.

BY CAPTAIN W. r. GORDON.
Never mind whst my business was, OF
how I was betrayed, and how I was
gathered in. Enough that they bagged
me $50 miles inside the enemy's lines
and hustled me off to prison at Fort
Henry, in Baltimore harbor, where I was
confronted with the charge of being 6
spy. No matter that had on when cap
tured my full uniform as captain. NJ
matter that at my cou1t-martial tria
their own officer who captured me testi.
fed that he did not take me as spy
and that there was no work for spy
where he captured me.
No matter; I was found guilty, and
the sentence was read to me: ITO be
hanged as spy on the parade ground
of Fort McHenry between the hours OF
IL a. m. and 8 p. m. November 8, 1868"
In answer to my request that if they
must kill me, for the sake of honor to
give me the death of q soldier, they gra-
ciously changed the papers to read. 'To
be shot to death with musketry on tho
parade ground, ETC."
OSomehow I suppose I did not fully
comprehend or adequately appreciate
my situation, for I did not feel then any
more than I do now that death was to
be my next deal. Nor had I at all con-
templated that result all through the
trial. Only the last day before that SEN
tence was read to me I had been Great
ing merrilnent by asking puzzling or ir-
relevant questions of the judge advo-
cate, telling Jokes during the recesses of
the court, in divers manners creating
fun to draw mirth for myself out of that
barren rock, military Justice" Only
the day before the president Of the court
martial, the colonel of the regiment,
twelve of whose officers composed my ad-
Indicators, asked to talk q little with me
in private, as between man end man.
"Of course"
Captain" said he, II greatly fear you
do not properly appreciate your present
situation"
swell, colonel, I know of no man more
favorably situated to realize it. Why do
you say sof'
because, sir, your life is at stake in
this trial"
''WellY"
swell, you'll be found guilty, most
assuredly, of the charge"
"WellH"
"You'll be sentenced to die"
"Well?"
r "And you'll be hanged or shot. And
here you have been spending the leisure
hours of the court trying you for your
life in frivolous testing and mirth. As a
fellow man it grieves me to see you care
lessly playing at SO terrible brink as
you stand on
Colonel" was the reply, 81 thank
You for your interest, if we are national
enemies. You speak as a man and a
soldier. But let me say this" (Now I
can not explain what induced NE to make
the following foolish, braggieh speech,
but it dubbed up and was spoken:)
Colonel, you or I may die before
night; We do not know; but in so far as
the result Of your courts finding is con-
cerned, I shall be alive when you and
your twelve officers aye dead and forgot
ten"
He left me in disgust, and I don't
blame him.
But such was my feeling. I did not
@feel it in my bones" as the slang goes,
that death was 80 near.
The colonel and the entire twelve
composing the court died before was
exchanged-ssshot to death" in one
charge at Gold Harbor. I live to write
the occurrence twenty five years after the
conversation.
It may or may not be true that when
the grim monster singles out his victim be
sends him in some way spiritual pre-
monitor that he is going to let fly from
deaths culver the fatal dart. Be that
az it may had no premonition OF
death.
Not when they stood me up to hear
my sentence and to answer, nor after
wards in the cool contemplation my iso-
lation and silent dungeon afforded; moi
when the officer of the day on that event
al execution morning, read to me in my
dungeon the days programme. and de-
invated my doom at the hands Of
twelve detained soldiers. He found me
aced my narrow cell
nd exclaimed in sur
prise;
God God, captain, what kind Of a
are you'll"
b, / don't know; skin and bone,
and sinews, blood and bile. Why ?''